Cleverley unhappy with Ralls red card decision.

Plymouth Argyle manager Tom Cleverley thought Joe Ralls should not have been sent off in his team’s 4-1 Boxing Day defeat at Reading.

The midfielder was sent off for preventing a goal-scoring opportunity after conceding a penalty in the 12th minute, which the Royals converted.

Reading struck three times in six minutes to lead 3-0 before the halfway point of the first half, making Argyle’s first Boxing Day home game in nine years a difficult watch for the Home Park fans.

Lorent Tolaj missed a penalty for the hosts immediately after Xavier Amaechi’s strike made it 3-1, and Reading’s Jack Marriott added a late fourth.

“I’ve had the luxury of seeing it back, and the referee hasn’t,” Cleverley told BBC Radio Devon. “There are five people between the goal and the Reading player.”

“I think the referee’s problem was that he gave the penalty and immediately went for a red card.”

“I think he should have given the penalty, given himself a second to see the melee in front of the action, given himself a second to see ‘Okay, no Reading players are appealing for a red card here’, and then we might have had a more accurate decision.”

Cleverley, who has already served a touchline ban for three bookings this season, was reprimanded again by the referee for his comments during the game.

He recognised that he needed to contain his emotions, but he was eager to impress the home fans on a rare Boxing Day game.